The following was penned by my colleague, Post Carbon Institute Executive Director, Asher Miller, who needs to get his own damned Elephant Journal page. It’s vital stuff, so do strongly consider sharing it.

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Like so many others, we at Post Carbon Institute have watched the growth of the #Occupy movement with a mix of hope and curiosity. So a few weeks ago we sent Ben Zolno, an enterprising young filmmaker, to Occupy Wall Street with copies of The End of Growth and a bunch of questions. You can read the report of his experience here.

Last week we sent him back, this time with a few recommendations:

Dig Deeper.

Ditch Wall St.

Change the Paradigm.

1. Dig deeper.

While a number of folks Ben spoke with were fairly well-versed with the issues of energy constraints, climate change, and ecological limits, the vast majority hadn’t had the opportunity as yet to explore the more fundamental questions about our economic system. Yes, they are right to voice strong dissatisfaction with the shocking state of inequality in our country, but will regulating big banks, ending “too big to fail” handouts, and reducing the wealth gap enough to fix our broken economy?

As PCI Fellow Wes Jackson recently said, “Fixing economic inequality doesn’t address the deeper problem—infinite growth on a finite planet. It’s just means we’ll all hit the edge of the petri dish at the same time.”

And so Ben is back at Zuccotti Park, this time to work with fellow members of the OWS Education Committee to create an #Occupy suggested reading list, book club, and teach-in series. On the list of books? The End of Growth and Deep Economy, among a handful of others.

2. Don’t just occupy Wall Street, ditch it.

The #Occupy movement has given a tremendous boost to the “Move Your Money” campaign, which aims to encourage people to switch their bank account from one of the handful of big Wall Street banks to a local credit union or bank. Last weekend, the “Bank Transfer Day” led to an unprecedented number of new accounts at credit unions and local banks across the country.

But Americans have four times more money in Wall Street investments – stocks, bonds, mutual funds, pension funds, and insurance funds – than we do in banks. We are the ones fueling the multinational companies we distrust.

Most Americans don’t realize that 99% of us don’t have a choice in the matter—SEC regulations prohibit us from investing in small, local businesses. Breaking this form of “investment apartheid” would have a profound impact on building the community resilience we need to respond to economic uncertainty, energy constraints, and climate change.

Thankfully there’s a rare opportunity right in front of us to put a serious hole in that wall—a bipartisan effort between Tea Party leaders in the House of Representatives and the Obama Administration to create a “crowdfunding” exemption.

And so, while PCI doesn’t normally engage in advocacy, we’re helping to spearhead an effort to get this legislation passed in the Senate. Ben has taken this message to Occupy Wall Street. We hope you’ll support this effort by signing the petition, spreading the word, and contacting your Senators.

3. Change the paradigm.

It is up to all of us to decide what our economy is for. There are demands that folks who are part of the #Occupy movement, and the rest of us who recognize the need for change, can and should make of our elected leaders: Kill GDP; internalize externalities; get money out of politics and end corporate personhood, etc.

But those rules and goals changes should naturally follow from a more profound shift in our economic paradigm. As PCI Fellow Joshua Farley wrote:

We have one demand: change our paradigm, our understanding of what is possible. Acknowledge the fact of a finite, fragile planet that we cannot afford to abuse.

Upon whom do we make these demands? Upon which political and economic leaders? We make these demands upon ourselves. Upon those willing to stand up to confront our unjust and unsustainable system, to call for a return to a society willing to pay its own way, to live within its means; for a return to an America that inspires the world to do better, that leads the planet toward a sustainable and desirable future. We make these demands upon ourselves, and we will not rest until our demands are met.

With a social movement as diverse and organic as #Occupy, only a fool would claim to know what the movement represents or predict where it will go in the weeks and months ahead. And we hesitate to speak for those brave souls at the various #Occupy encampments around the country, putting their personal comfort and safety on the line. But we hope these recommendations can help.

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About
Tod Brilliant

Tod Brilliant is the Creative Director for Post Carbon Institute, a nonprofit think tank dedicated to providing individuals, communities, businesses and governments with the resources needed to understand and respond to the interrelated economic, energy, environmental and equity crises that define the 21st century. Post Carbon Institute envisions a world of resilient communities and re-localized economies that thrive within ecological bounds.
More about Post Carbon Institute.

Comments

2400394 Responseshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F2011%2F11%2Fa-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-the-occupation%2FA+funny+thing+happened+on+the+way+to+the+occupation2011-11-09+19%3A00%3A49Tod+Brillianthttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F%3Fp%3D240039 to “A funny thing happened on the way to the occupation”

Yay! An Ele article on Occupy gives me the chance to forego my usual negativity, which has been weighing on me. Three great ideas here.

1. Legalizing investment in small businesses. Fascinating idea.

2. Don’t occupy, ditch it.

Occupiers are still quiet about means, but almost surely those means include control of Wall Street by government. Big mistake. When govt decides to control big business, big business always comes to control govt. Govt attempts to control business always end in their marriage. That’s an outcome insured by human nature.

3. There’s even an allusion here to another possible marriage: Occupiers and Tea Partiers. Both are half right, Occs focus on the business side of govt-business collusion. T.P.ers focus on the govt. Working together, what a force they would be!

Course the marriage of Occs and T.P.ers will never happen. The cultural divide is too big, and no one wants to work with people who “aren’t like us.”

"suggested reading list".
Lietaer,Bernard; The Future of Money. Critical stuff but tough book to lay hands on. Tom Greco has good alternatives
Korten,David; The Great Turning. Profound study of empires: relationships which underpin, destroy and enhance them
Johnson,Warren; Muddling Toward Frugality. Sound preparation for the next decade 2011-2020 writ large in 1989 was it?
Mackay,David; Sustainable Energy without the Hot Air. Great workbook, appears objective, good student text? Heinberg,Richard; All of 'em
Monbiot,George; Heat. From a man who saw what was coming and did something about it.
*** BeaverBooksearch.co.uk